By: Sean Neidig, sports information graduate assistant

SALISBURY, Md. - Capital University Men's Soccer's quest to get back to the NCAA Tournament started with a bang on Friday when they hit the road to Salisbury University and earned a 1-0 win over the Sea Gulls to open the season.

Only seven minutes into the game, sophomore defender Tyler Wujczyk (Beverly Hills, Mich./Brothers Rice) scored the first goal of Cap's year on a header from Greg Knox (Oxford, Mich./Oxford). It was the Crusader's only goal of the match but their stout defense and perfect goaltending made it enough to win.

Capital (1-0) was outshot 16 to 6 but Salisbury (0-1) couldn't convert those shots into many chances. Senior goalkeeper Justin Niswonger (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville) started and played the full 90 for the Purple and White and made five saves. The Sea Gulls had no shots on goal in the first half.

Capital almost added a second goal 25:30 in but junior forward Luke Morais (Westerville, Ohio/Westerville South) hit his shot off the post. Senior defender Hunter Stiger (Cincinnati, Ohio/Lakota West) also hit a header off the post in the second half.

The Sea Gulls' first shot on goal came 37 seconds into the second half but Niswonger was in front of it.

Other than Wujczyk's goal, the only other shot on goal Cap recorded came off the foot of sophomore forward Trevor Collins (Powell, Ohio/Olentangy Liberty).

Salisbury came close to an equalizer in the 68th minute when Dolph Hegewisch hit the crossbar. The ball bounced back into play and Hegewisch was able to get another touch on it but the second shot was saved by Niswonger.

The Sea Gulls had another late chance to even the score with a corner kick with only nine seconds remaining but couldn't generate a shot.

Capital returns to the pitch Sept. 2 to face Saint Mary's University (Md.) at 1 p.m. in their second match of the Elmer Lord Memorial Tournament.